16. What's in the box?

                                    

                                          
Y/N's POV
The Gladers circled the shattered remains of the crate, the air filled with anticipation. Everyone was on edge, waiting to see what had been sent up from the Box. The usual shipments were predictable—food, supplies, tools—but this was different. The wood and scattered debris made it impossible to tell what had been inside.
Thomas and I exchanged a tense glance before we both stepped closer to the wreckage. The other Gladers moved aside, but Minho wrapped his arm around my waist protectivly. I looked over to him and raised my eyebrow.
"Careful," He warned, his eyes darting and cheeks turning pink, letting go of me.
With a nod, I crouched down and began sifting through the debris. The wood was rough and splintered, and I winced as I felt a sharp edge dig into my palm. I pushed the pain aside, my focus on uncovering whatever was in that crate.
After a few moments, my fingers brushed against something cold and metallic. I pulled it free from the debris, revealing a small, rectangular box, no larger than my hand. It was plain and black, with no visible markings or labels.
"What the hell is that?" Thomas muttered, leaning in for a closer look.
"I don't know," I replied, turning the box over in my hands. It was surprisingly heavy for its size, and there was no obvious way to open it. No latches, no buttons, nothing.
Thomas knelt beside me, his brow furrowed. "It looks... high-tech. Way more advanced than anything we've seen before."
I nodded, my heart pounding in my chest. "Let's take it inside," Newt suggested, his voice concerned. "We shouldn't be out here with this thing."
The others murmured in agreement, and we carefully carried the mysterious box into the Homestead. The crowd of Gladers followed, their whispers filling the air with questions and assumptions.
Inside, we placed the box on one of the long wooden tables, everyone gathering around to get a better look.
"Maybe we should just leave it alone," Frypan suggested, his voice tight with worry. "We don't know what it is or what it could do."
"But we need to find out," Thomas insisted, his eyes locked on the box. "This could be important."
I could see the determination in his eyes, but I also saw the fear. Whatever this box was, it wasn't something we could ignore. But I couldn't shake the feeling that opening it would only lead to more trouble.
"What do you think, Y/N?" Minho asked, his gaze shifting to me.
I hesitated, the weight of the decision pressing down on me. My mind raced with possibilities—some of them terrifying. But I knew we couldn't leave it here, unanswered.
"We should open it," I finally said, my voice steady despite the anxiety building in my chest. "We need to know what we're dealing with."
Thomas nodded, stepping forward with me. "Alright, let's figure this out."
With no clear way to open the box, we tried everything we could think of—pressing on the surface, tapping it, even trying to pry it open with a knife. But nothing worked. The box remained sealed, its secrets hidden from us.
Frustration and fear began to seep into the room. Zart stepped up and decided to try smacking the box against the corner of the table. "What the shuck are you doing Zart, we are trying to open it not smash it into pieces." I said to which he just shrugged innocently. 
"This is useless," Gally muttered, crossing his arms. "We're wasting time."
Before anyone could respond, a loud click echoed through the room, and the box began to glow. A soft, eerie light emanated from the seams that hadn't been there before, and a humming noise intensified, vibrating through the floor. 
"It worked didn't it?" Zart said proudly smirking at me. I just rolled my eyes and focused back to the box.
"Get back!" Minho shouted, pulling me away from the table by my shoulder, pulling me closer to him.
We all stumbled backward, eyes wide with fear as the box began to shift. The top slowly lifted, revealing a hidden compartment inside. The glow faded, leaving us staring at the contents of the box in stunned silence.
Inside, there were several small vials filled with a blue liquid, each one carefully placed in a foam insert. Next to the vials was a small, folded piece of paper, the edges crisp and clean, as if it had been placed there recently.
Thomas reached in and carefully unfolded the paper, his eyes scanning the text. As he read, his face grew pale, and he looked up at us with a mixture of shock and dread.
"What is it?" Newt asked, his voice tight with anxiety.
Thomas hesitated before answering, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's a message. It says... 'Use it when they attack.'"
A stunned silence fell over the room as the weight of the words settled over us. They? who are they? The Grievers?
The tension in the room was undeniable, uncertainty filled the air. Everyone was just as confused and worried, clearly also trying to figure out who they were. The Box had delivered a new mystery, and with it, a new challenge. 
I exchanged a glance with Thomas, seeing the same fear reflected in his eyes. Whatever happened next, there was no turning back.



A/N
Is this story boring? Idk i feel it is i'm working on some new more interesting chapters so i'll keep updating.